Ozzy Osbourne opens up about Parkinson's disease: 'I feel like I'm walking in lead shoes'

The 73-year-old musician is struggling with physical symptoms caused by Parkinson's disease, such as movement difficulties that cause a limp, and mental symptoms such as depression, writes Prevention.

"I feel like I'm walking in lead shoes," Osborne said of his experience with the disease.

Ozzy is better able to cope with the disease thanks to his wife Sharon.

Ozzy Osbourne has faced a number of health challenges, from contracting COVID-19 to undergoing neck surgery and dealing with symptoms related to his battle with Parkinson's disease. While the "Patient Number 9" singer made headlines by saying he would return to England due to gun violence in the US, he also opened up about his overall health. The star recently opened up about the physical and mental challenges associated with Parkinson's disease and what it's like living with the disease.

Following the “major surgery [la gât] he underwent that his wife Sharon Osbourne said would “define the rest of his life,” the Black Sabbath rocker faced some complications. According to an interview with The Guardian, he now suffers from nerve pain. “The pain got so bad that at one point I thought, 'Oh God, please don't let me wake up tomorrow morning.'

The side effects of the surgery added to the difficulties Ozzy was already facing due to Parkinson's disease. Some of the symptoms of the disease also present in his case include motor problems such as lameness when walking. "You think you're lifting your legs, but your leg isn't moving," he explained in the same interview. "I feel like I'm walking in lead shoes."

Depression is another symptom associated with Parkinson's disease that also affects Ozzy. He explained that he "got to a point" where "nothing seemed interesting anymore," which led him to start taking antidepressants. “You learn to live in the moment,” Ozzy continued. “You never know when you’ll wake up and not be able to get out of bed. But you just don’t think about it.”

The rocker first revealed his diagnosis in 2020, which he said was "terribly difficult" in an interview with Good Morning America, with his wife Sharon explaining: "There are so many other types than Parkinson's; It's not a death sentence, but it does affect certain nerves in your body. And it's... like you had a good day and then a really bad one.

According to the Parkinson's Foundation, Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects dopamine-producing neurons in the brain, leading to motor and non-motor symptoms including tremors, limb stiffness, cognitive impairment, depression and balance problems.

Luckily, Ozzy says Sharon has been a great support throughout his health battle. “We bicker a little from time to time, but other than that we just get by.” Sharon told The Guardian that one of her goals is to find a personal trainer to help Ozzy deal with his muscle "atrophy."

Despite this, the living legend Ozzy Osbourne intends to go on tour. “You haven’t seen the end of Ozzy Osbourne’s life, I promise you,” he told The Guardian. “If I go on tour and die on the first song, I’ll be back the next day.”